ELL Handbook

WIDA (World-Class Instructional Design and Assessment) is housed within the Wisconsin Center for Education Research at the School of Education, University of Wisconsin-Madison.

IPT (IDEA Proficiency Test; [IDEA: Individualized Developmental English Activities])

MELA-O (Massachusetts English Language Assessment-Oral; MELA R/W   Read/Write)

MEPA (Massachusetts English Proficiency Assessment)

MCAS (Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System)

SIFE (Students with Interrupted Formal Education)

 

TERMS AND DEFINITIONS

Frequently used terms and acronyms associated with English language learners:

ELL	English Language Learner
ESL	English as a Second Language
LEP	Limited English proficient - students who have a non-English language background
ELEP	Former Limited English Proficient
Low Incidence	Fewer than twenty LEP students of one language group
High Incidence	Program usually having 20 or more of one anguage group enrolled in a school district or school
Integration	In the context of Chapter 71 A, integration means students receiving services are engaged in meaningful learning activities with their peers
SEI	Sheltered English Immersion - a program model whereby instruction and materials are in English and utilizes sheltered instruction techniques
ELD	English Language Development - a methodology through which the development of language and academic content skills are promoted simultaneously and may utilize native language for clarification purposes
MA SIMS Classification	Classification of child according to the SIMS data element.  Students requiring services are labeled as LEP; students who no longer receive services (ELL) are coded as FLEP
Native Language	First language of the learner
WIDA	WIDA English Language Development Standards - to be used as a basis for developing curriculum and programs for ELLs in the upcoming year.  Soon to replace the ELBOW, English Language Proficiency Benchmarks and Outcomes.

 

Requirements of All School Districts in Massachusetts:

• All children in Massachusetts public schools are taught English by being taught in English and all by being placed in English language classrooms.  Children who are English learners must be educated through sheltered English immersion.

• Districts annually determine, no later than April 1, the number of English learners in the district and classify them according to grade level, primary language, and the English learners program in which they are enrolled.

• Districts annually administer a standardized, nationally normed written test of academic subject matter in English for grades 2-12 and a nationally normed test of English proficiency for grades K-12.

• Districts send report cards and other school information to parents and guardians of English language learners in the same manner and frequency as such information is sent to other parents and guardians, and, to the maximum extent possible, in an understandable language.

• The Office of Educational Quality and Accountability conduct onsite visits to school districts at least once every five years to evaluate the effectiveness of programs serving English language learners.

• Two-way bilingual programs, whereby students develop language proficiency in two languages by receiving instruction in English and another language in a classroom that is usually comprised of half native English speakers and half native speakers of the other language “shall be unaffected”.  No waivers are necessary for participation in a two-way bilingual program.

• English language learners are provided language support services until they are proficient enough in English to participate meaningfully in the district’s education program.

Reference:  Questions and Answers Regarding Chapter 71A: ENGLISH LANGUAGE EDUCATION IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS, Mass Dept of Elementary and Secondary Education, August 2003.

Initial Identification of LEP Students

Bedford Public Schools has established a uniform procedure for the initial identification of LEP students:

Home Language Survey

The procedure begins at the time of registration with the completion of the Home Language Survey (HLS).  At the time of registration, the parent(s)/guardian(s) will be asked to complete the Home Language Survey (HLS) (Appendices C and D).  A copy in the parent(s)/guardian’s native language will be provided.  If the HLS shows that the student’s language exposure is all English, the original form will be placed in the student’s cumulative folder.  If the HLS indicates a language other than English in the home, a copy of the HLS will be forwarded to the ESL provider and the student will be tested within 30 days.  The testing results will determine if services are necessary based on English proficiency criteria set by the district and the student should be classified as LEP (Appendix E).

At the time of testing the ESL teacher administering the test will complete an Initial Screening Form (Appendix F) which will provide important information on the student, the student’s language history and academic language history, as well as special status information such as S.I.F.E., Adoptee or non-SIFE refugee status.

Notifications

Parents are notified in writing if their child is eligible for ELL services in the SEI program or ELD instruction (Appendices G, H, and I).  These letters also provide information about requesting a waiver for an alternate placement or declining (opt-out) ELL services (Appendices J-M).

After the student has been identified as LEP, the student will be placed in an SEI program and provided with ELD instruction.  This placement occurs within the first four weeks of school.

District Waiver and “Opting Out” Policies For English Language Learners

General Laws Chapter 71A requires that publicly-funded students in Massachusetts who are Limited English Proficient be instructed through the use of sheltered English immersion, unless the student wishes to “opt out” and be placed in a general classroom not tailored for English learners.  English learners who wish to participate in a transitional bilingual program or receive some other type of language support may not do so unless they have received a waiver from the requirements of G.L. c. 71A.

Opting Out and Declined Services

Parents may notify the district of their wish to have their child “opt-out” of the ELL program.  This means that a parent or guardian chooses to deny their child’s entry into the SEI program in the Bedford Public Schools.  The district requires that a parent or guardian schedule a meeting with the ELL District Liaison and ELL staff in order to exercise this option.  The form titled English Language Learner Services Declined (Appendix J) must be signed in order to make this operational.  Parents of a child under 10 may “opt-out” even if that student has not been enrolled in an ELE classroom for 30 days.

The Bedford Public School District encourages parents to allow their children to participate in our ELL program for a limited time before they make a final determination to “opt-out” of the program.  We will continue to keep parents apprised of their child’s progress.  Federal law establishes a district’s obligation to provide LEP students with meaningful access to the education program.  Because of this, when a parent declines their child’s participation in a formal language instruction program, the district will continue to monitor the progress of the student to ensure that the student has an equal opportunity to have his or her English language and academic needs met.  The district will also continue to provide English language support to monitored student via the academic supports that are available under the District Curriculum Accommodation Plan.  Where a district determines through monitoring that a student who has “opted out” is not progressing, the district will ensure that the student’s academic needs are being addressed.  Students will continue to be reported on the SIMS data and assessed annually using the current DESE mandated assessments (MEPA, MELA-O, and MCAS) appropriate for their grade.  Within one week of receipt of the decline of services, the building level ELL Team will hold a meeting.  The ELL Team will create an Individual Student Success Plan (ISSP) for the student in coordination with the Student Assistant Team at each building.  The ELL Provider will oversee the plan.  It will identify specific services that will be implemented.  Services may include (but are not limited to): support in the classroom, accommodations and modifications to instruction and class work, programmed time into the building academic support classroom and/or regular progress reports from guidance to the home and to the ELL Provider.  Parent notification letters will continue as long as English language proficiency assessments indicate the student is not yet “proficient.”

Waiver Policy

If a family believes that the student should be placed in a program other than that which the ELL Department recommends, the family has a right to request a waiver for alternate placement in a bilingual or other educational program (Appendix K).  General Laws Chapter 71A provides for waivers based on parent or administrator request under certain circumstances, assuming that the parent annually applies by visiting the student’s school and by providing written informed consent.

• For students under the age of 10, with parental consent, waivers are allowed under all of the following conditions (Appendix L):

1. The student has been placed in an ELL classroom for at least 30 days prior to the parent’s application for a waiver.

• 2. Documentation by school officials in no less than 250 words that the student has special and individual physical or psychological needs, separate from lack of English proficiency, that require an alternative course of educational study and inclusion of such documentation in the student’s permanent school record.
  3. Authorizing signatures on the waiver application of both the school Superintendent and the school principal.

• For students over the age of 10, with parental consent, waivers are allowed when it is the informed belief of the school principal and educational staff that an alternate course of educational study would be better for the student’s overall educational progress and rapid acquisition of English language skills (Appendix M).

If there are 20 students or more of a given grade level in one particular language group whose parents have waived the ELL program in favor of a bilingual or other type of language support program, the district will be required to offer that type of program.  In all other cases, students with waivers will be permitted to transfer to a public school in which such programs are offered.

Student Assessments

Several tests may be used for the assessment of language dominance, oral proficiency, and reading and writing skill levels.  The assessment results from any of the instruments indicated below are to be used as resources and guides by the ELL team when making entry or exit into programs.  Results of district, state, and school-based assessments are also used to provide additional information on the academic performance of the student.  Procedures for current annual ELL assessments can be found in Appendix N.

Parents are sent a notification letter providing them with essential testing information prior to each test (Appendix O).

Descriptions of Current Assessments

Massachusetts English Proficiency Assessment (MEPA) is an annual assessment required by the Department of Education.  The MEPA measures English language skills in reading and writing necessary for functioning in classes conducted in English.

Massachusetts English Language Assessment-Oral (MELA-O) is an observation scale completed twice per year.  It is used to assess a student’s oral English language proficiency in both formal and informal settings in comprehension, vocabulary, fluency, pronunciation, and grammar.

IPT-Idea Proficiency Test is a language ability and proficiency assessment consisting of oral, reading, writing, and listening components.

 

ASSESSMENT INSTRUMENTS BY GRADE LEVEL

GRADE	TEST	USED TO DETERMINE LEVEL OF	WHEN ADMINISTERED
PreK-12	MELO-O	English Language Oral Proficiency	Spring and Fall
K-12	IPT	Listening, Speaking, Reading, and Writing Proficiency test for initial screening	New students with home language other than English on HLS or teacher referral
K-12	MEPA-R/W	English Reading and Writing Development	Administered in spring for most students; administered in fall for grade K-12 students who did not take the spring MEPA

 

Testing Accommodations for ELL Students

No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 requires that schools monitor and report the progress of all students, as well as specific groups, such as ELLS, through regular, periodic testing.  Testing provides educators with information about the academic strengths and weaknesses of the students they serve, and results are used to inform instruction.  Therefore, all English Language Learners must be tested.  However, ELL students are offered certain accommodations.

A range of test accommodations is available to all ELL students and to former ELL students for up to two years after passing the state MCAS test.  Accommodations include:

1. Time extensions (time and a half of productive test-taking);

2. Separate locations and/or small group administration;

3. Bilingual glossaries and dictionaries (word-for-word translations only);

4. Simultaneous use of English and other available language editions;

5. Oral translations for lower incidence languages;

6. Written response in the native language.

The Educational Program

The ELL program for each school/student will be developed in partnership with the building ELL team and administration, including the ELL director, the principal, and the superintendent and/or assistant superintendent of schools and reviewed each year to accommodate the needs of students who need services.  Language proficiency levels will be determined from assessments, student work samples, and teacher recommendation from ESL staff and classroom teachers.  The building ELL team will be consulted to prepare the instructional program for each student.

Depending upon the assessment results, students may receive English Language Development (ELD) lessons or direct instruction in language skills by a certified ESL teacher and/or be placed in a Sheltered English Immersion (SEI) program.  Teachers in SEI classrooms have been category trained according to the DESE regulations to be qualified to teach ELL students in their classrooms.

The SEI program provides students with books and instructional materials in English; however, the curriculum and presentation of lessons are designed for students who are learning the English language.  At some point, there may be a need to use the native language when necessary for clarification.  The ELL content instruction is currently based on the Massachusetts English Curriculum Frameworks and the English Language Proficiency Benchmarks and Outcomes (ELPBO) at each grade level.  As the district revises and further develops their ELL curriculum, all new and revised curriculums will be aligned to the WIDA standards, to be adopted by Massachusetts by 2013, and to the Common Core Standards.  Parents are notified of their child’s progress periodically throughout the year (Appendices P, Q, R, and S).

The ESL teacher will maintain ESL student folders.  Each folder has a checklist that the teacher uses to document the collection of student data, report cards, progress reports, and parent communication (Appendix T).

ELL School-Based Student Teams

In order to make the best educational decisions regarding student services for our English language learners each school has established a team.  Membership in the team may change depending upon the needs of the student(s) being discussed.  The core members are the ESL teacher, the student’s classroom teacher, and a guidance counselor.  Membership may also include a Reading Specialist, an administrator, a Special Education teacher, an adjustment counselor, and others as needed.  In general, the team does not meet formally and decisions are made informally through consultations and communication between the members.  Teams meet to discuss individual students learning and program needs, to make appropriate emotional or instructional recommendations, and to monitor a student’s language acquisition and academic progress.

Student Support Services

District Curriculum Accommodation Plan

The district is fully committed to the education and learning needs of all students.  We recognize that all of our students have individual learning styles that at one time or another may require some kind of accommodation within the classroom or school environment.  Consequently, in each of our schools, we have a variety of supports available to all students who may need them.  Students and their teachers are encouraged to explore and avail themselves of district-wide services and programs that address diverse learning needs.  For more information regarding the district’s array of academic and behavioral supports, please go to the district’s website at http://www.bedford.k12.ma.us/support-services/curriculum-accomodation.html.

Special Education Referrals

Limited English Proficient students may be considered for special education when there is a concern regarding academic progress and/or social emotional needs.  However, the lack of English language proficiency is not a basis for finding a student either eligible or ineligible for special education.  If a student is found eligible for special education, his/her participation in ESL continues until the student is exited for proficiency.

Equal Access to Academic and Non-Academic/Extracurricular Activities

In accordance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the district prohibits discrimination, exclusion from participation, and denial of benefits based on race, color, or national origin in any programs or activities that are offered by the Bedford Public Schools.  District personnel must make every effort to ensure that (1) LEP students have access to the full range of opportunities, supports, and services that are available to any non-LEP students; (2) LEP students participate fully with their English-speaking peers; and (3) LEP students are provided the necessary supports for participation in academic and non-academic/extracurricular programs and activities.

Relationship With Parents

Bedford Public School considers a parent’s participation in his/her student’s education key to the success of each student.  Parents play an important role in their students’ program and should be involved in all aspects of their education.  They serve as a source of information for the ESL teacher, information that can form a framework for understanding the student.  Their participation in interviews, their reports on developmental and educational histories, and their explanation of the history of the student’s language acquisition are valuable.

Therefore, building a relationship of trust between the parents and school professionals is important to the success of the student’s academic and social life.  Understanding the traditions and culture will help build that trust.  It will also help the staff to better acculturate each student.

Practices used to build a relationship between Bedford staff and the parents:

• Pronounce parent’s name correctly.

• Provide an interpreter to assist parents in making important decisions involving their student.

• Ask parents about the family and how decisions are made.

• Give parents an opportunity to talk about their goals for their student.

• Understand the cultural norms that impact every day communication such as avoidance of eye contact to show respect.

• Understand that the parents’ level of proficiency and confidence in English may impact their ability to make decisions, even with a translator.

• Invite parents to meetings, coffees, Parent Association events, and student activities such as the school play.

• Check for understanding by asking specific questions.

• Speak slowly and avoid using acronyms and colloquialism.

• Follow-up after a meeting to keep parents updated on what was discussed.

Reference:  DODEA English as a Second Language Program Guide, 2007.

Monitoring Progress of LEP Students

1. Each LEP student is evaluated annually for English proficiency and content skills.  Students in grades K–12 will be assessed annually in English reading and writing skills using the Massachusetts English Proficiency Assessment (MEPA).  Oral language assessments (MELA-O) are administered according to DESE guidelines.  All LEP students will also participate in the MCAS testing appropriate to their grade levels.  These results are documented in the students file and submitted to the ELL Teacher who will document these also in the ELL folder.  Copies of the MEPA and MCAS results will be provided to the parents.

2. Regularly scheduled progress reports reflecting the current Massachusetts standards will be prepared for each LEP student by the ESL teacher (Appendices P, Q, and R) and submitted to the supervising ESL teacher, Guidance Counselors, and parents.

3. Each building ELL team will meet to review the progress of all LEP students in that school twice per year: after the end of the first trimester for elementary students or first semester for middle and high school students and within 30 days prior to the end of the school year or the first 30 days of the next school year to evaluate each LEP student’s progress and ensure that each student is appropriately placed and monitored (Appendix P).  At the end of/beginning of year meeting, the school ELL Team will make written recommendations for the next/current year’s placement for ELL students (LEP or FLEP) based on placement criteria.  The placement criteria are GUIDELINES.  Verification of these meetings and the resulting recommendations will be documented in each student’s cumulative folder with a copy sent to the ELL Director.  Parents/guardians will be notified in writing of their child’s placement as continuing LEP status, reclassification as FLEP, or exiting FLEP status (Appendices R, W, and X).

4. Chapter 71A and Title VI require that Limited English Proficient students are entitled to language support services until they are proficient enough to participate meaningfully in the district’s general education programs.  Districts cannot limit the time necessary for language services for those students who are not yet able to participate meaningfully in the school’s programs.

5. Monitoring Tools:

• MEPA – Reading and Writing Proficiency (MA English Proficiency Assessment)

• LAS – Reading and Writing Proficiency (Language Assessment Scales)

• IPT – Reading, Writing, Listening, Speaking

• IPT Oral – Oral Proficiency (IDEA Proficiency Test)

• MELA-O – Oral Language Proficiency (Massachusetts English Language Assessment – Oral)

• State Testing (MCAS)

• Student Portfolios including writing samples

• District Common Assessments

• Reading Assessments (DIBELS, GRADE, running records, etc.)

• Other assessments as needed by the ELL team

Exiting Students from ELL Program

(Reclassification from LEP to FLEP)

Exit Procedures:

Each building ELL team will meet to review the progress of all LEP students twice per year as outlined above (Monitoring Progress of LEP Students).  The team will conduct a review of each student’s progress and determine if that student no longer requires ELL services and can be reclassified as FLEP (Content Area Teacher Progress Report for Reclassification; Reclassification Guidelines, Appendices U and V).

Exit Criteria:

ELL students who meet the district exit criteria will exit the program and be reclassified as FLEP.  Students who do not meet the exit criteria outlined will be recommended for continuing services.  Any change in the instructional program will be documented in the student’s school record.  The principal or designee will inform the parents in writing as to whether the student will remain as LEP or be reclassified as FLEP using the reclassification requirement guidelines.  Letters informing parent of this change in status must be signed and returned to the school.  The letter will then be filed in the student cumulative and ELL folders.

Post-Service Monitoring:

The ESL Teacher will review FLEP student report cards and conduct periodic consultations with classroom teachers to ensure that the FLEP student is continuing to obtain success in the regular classrooms.  This monitoring will continue for two years thus adhering to the DESE regulations.  If the FLEP student is not meeting with success, the ESL Teacher will reconvene the ELL Team to redesignate the student to LEP status and ELD services will resume.  If the FLEP continues to make adequate progress for two years, an Exit from FLEP to Regular Education form (Appendix Z) will be placed in their cumulative and ELL folders.  Evidence of sustained performance will include:  progress reports, report cards, and standardized test scores.